It’s important for everyone to play their role in keeping the environment in a good state. The easiest way to do this is by recycling. It’s additionally important for a parent to practice green living as they’ll be imparting valuable lessons to their children. If you’re wondering about the specific ways in which you can recycle, read on. You’ll see five ways in which you can recycle and improve your environmental friendliness at home.

1. Use Sustainable Materials to Construct

Whenever you have to work on your home, it’s a good idea for you to use sustainable materials. When you do this, you’ll end up with a project that looks amazing but that hasn’t cost the environment a lot. Keep in mind that it takes about four recycled steel cars to construct a 2,000-square-foot house while it takes over 40 trees to construct a normal wood-frame home. That said, do your best to make sure that the materials you use for construction and renovation are all eco-friendly.

2. Start a Compost Pit

If you have room in your garden, you can start a compost pit and save a lot of material from ending up in the landfill and contributing immensely to harmful gases. Even if you live in an apartment, you can DIY or buy a compact compost box in which you’ll be able to compost effectively. You can use the materials that you get from composting as a natural fertilizer for a small kitchen garden. Alternatively, give it to a friend who has a garden and they’ll thank you profusely when they see the amazing results from using natural, composted fertilizer.

3. Reconsider Packaging

Packaging is another important consideration to make if you want to live more sustainably. This is because most packaging material heads straight to the garbage after the product has been unwrapped. That said, try to have your materials packed in recyclable materials and then recycle them when you get home. Note that recycling one ton of cardboard saves more than nine cubic yards of space in the landfill. This should motivate you to recycle and watch the packing that your products come in. Whenever possible, get minimal packaging and also ensure that it’s recyclable.

4. Conserve Water

Water conservation is a part of sustainable living that everyone can make a part of their lives. This is because you can take measures such as repairing leaks around your house in order to make sure there’s no water getting wasted in your home. Change any worn and leaking appliances such as faucets, showers, and taps to keep them from wasting water. When you do this, you’ll realize that you pay a lower water bill on top of conserving the environment, always an important thing to do.

5. Recycle Your Renovation Materials

Finally, whether you’re constructing a new house or adding a feature to existing premises, you should aim to be sustainable. Get materials that can be bought recycled and you’ll save both your money and the environment at the same time. Keep in mind that the average asphalt driveway will last from 15 to 20 years, according to The Spruce. After this time passes, you can reuse the same material to create a brand-new driveway that you’ll be happy to have.

Use these five tips to live a sustainable life and set a great example for your kids if you’re a parent. When you do, this will be the best thing that you did for yourself and your family. It will get easier for you to do as time goes by as well, so make an effort at the start and you’ll soon become great at living in a sustainable way.